The lady and the lion

 

The  lady  and the lion

There once was a man who had to take a  long journey

and when he was saying goodbye to his

daughters he asked what he should bring  back to them

the eldest daughter wanted pearls the    second

diamonds but the third said

dear father i should like a singing

soaring lark

the father said very well if i can

manage it

you shall have it and he kissed all

three

and set off he bought pearls and

diamonds for the two

eldest but he had searched everywhere in  vain

for the singing soaring lark and this

worried him

for his youngest daughter was his

favorite child

once his way led through a wood in the  midst

of which was a splendid castle near it  stood a tree

and right up at the top he saw a lark

singing and soaring ah he

said i have come across you in the nick   of time

and he called to his servant to dismount

and catch the little creature

but as he approached the tree a lion

sprang out from underneath and shook

himself and roared so that the leaves on   the tree

trembled who dares to steal my

lark said he i will eat

up the thief then the man said

i didn't know that the bird was yours

i will make up for my fault by paying a   heavy ransom

only spare my life but the lion said

nothing can save you unless you

promise to give me whatever first meets  you

when you get home if you consent

i will give you your life and the bird

in the bargain but the man hesitated and   said

suppose my youngest and favorite

daughter were to come running to meet me

when i go home

but the servant was afraid and said your

daughter will not necessarily be the

first to come to meet you

it might just as well be a cat or a dog

so the man let himself be persuaded

took the lark and promised to the lion  for his own

whatever first met him on his return

home

when he reached home and entered his  house

the first person who met him was none

other than his youngest

daughter she came running up and kissed

and caressed him

and when she saw that he had brought the

singing soaring lark

she was beside herself with joy

but her father could not rejoice he

began to cry

and said my dear child it has cost me  bdear

for i have had to promise you to a lion

who will tear you to pieces when he gets  you in his power

and when he told her all that had

happened and begged her not to go

come what may but she consoled him   saying

dear father what you have promised must  be performed

i will go and will soon soften the

lion's heart

so that i shall come back safe and sound

the next morning the way was shown to

her and she said goodbye and went

confidently into the forest

now the lion was an enchanted prince

who was a lion by day and all his

followers were lions too

but by night they reassumed their human

form on her arrival she was kindly

received

and conducted to the castle when night   fell

the lion turned into a handsome man

and their wedding was celebrated with   new magnificence

and they lived happily together sitting   up at night

and sleeping by day one day he came to  her and said

tomorrow there is a festival at your

father's house

to celebrate your eldest sister's

wedding

if you would like to go my lions shall   escort you

she answered that she was very eager to

see her father again

so she went away accompanied by the  lions

there was great rejoicing on her coming

for they all thought that she had been   torn to pieces

and had long been dead but she told them

what a handsome

husband she had and how well she fared

and she stayed with them as long as the

wedding festivities lasted

then she went back again into the wood

when the second daughter married the

youngest was again

invited to the wedding she said to the  lion

this time i will not go alone

you must come with me but the lion said   it would be too

dangerous for if a gleam of light

touched him

he would be changed into a dove and

would have to fly about for seven years

oh said she only go with me

and i will protect you and keep off

every ray of light

so they went away together and took

their little child with them

too they had a hall built with such

thick walls that no ray could penetrate

and thither the lion was to retire when

the wedding torches were kindled but the

door was made of

fresh wood which split and caused a   little crack

which no one noticed now the wedding was

celebrated with great splendor

but when the procession came back from

church with a large number of torches

and lights a ray of light

no broader than a hair fell upon the

prince

and the minute this ray touched him he   was changed

and when his wife came in and looked for  him

she saw nothing but a white dove sitting  there

the dove said to her for seven years i

must fly about the world

every seventh step i will let fall

a drop of blood and a white feather

which will show you the way and if you

will follow the track

you can free me thereupon the dove flew    out of the door

and she followed it and every seventh   step

it let fall a drop of blood and a little

white feather to show her the way

so she wandered about the world and   never rested

till the seven years were nearly passed

then she rejoiced

thinking that she would soon be free of  her troubles

but she was still far from her lease

one day as they were journeying on in      the accustomed away

the feather and the drop of blood ceased

falling

and when she looked up the dove had   vanished

man cannot help me she thought

so she climbed up to the sun and said to  it

you shine upon all the valleys and

mountain peaks

have you not seen a white dove flying by

no said the sun i have not

seen one but i will give you a little

casket

open it when you are in dire need

she thanked the sun and went on till

night

when the moon shone out

you shine all night said she over

field and forest have you seen a white    dove flying by

no answer the moon i have seen

none but here is an egg

break it when you are in great need

she thanked the moon and went on till

the night wind blew upon her

you blow among the trees and leaves have

you not seen a white dove

she asked no

said the night wind i have not seen one

but i will ask the other three winds who  may

perhaps have seen it the east wind and

the west wind came

but they had not seen no dove

only the south wind said i have seen the   white dove

it has flown away to the red sea where

it has again become a lion

since the seven years are over and the   lion is

ever fighting with a dragon who is an

enchanted princess

when the nightwind said i will advise   you

go to the red sea you will find tall

reeds growing on the right bank count   them

and cut down the eleventh strike the

dragon with it

and then the lion will be able to master

it and both will regain

human shape next look round

and you will see the winged griffin who

dwells by the red

sea leaf upon its back with your beloved

and it will carry you across the sea

here is a nut drop it when you come

to mid ocean it will open immediately

and a tall nut tree will grow up out of   the water

on which the griffon will settle could

it not rest

it would not be strong enough to carry   you across

and if you forget to drop the nut it

will let you

fall into the sea then she journeyed on

and found everything as the night wind   had said

she counted the reeds by the sea and cut   off the eleventh

struck the dragon with it and the lion   mastered it

immediately both regained human form

but when the princess who had been a   dragon

was free from enchantment she took the    prince in her

arms seated herself on the griffin's

back

and carried him off and the poor

wanderer

again forsaken sat down and cried

at last she took courage and said to

herself

wherever the winds blow i will go

and as long as cock's crow i will

search till i find him

so she went on a long long way

till she came to a castle where the

prince and princess were living

there she heard that there was to be a

festival to celebrate their wedding

then she said to herself heaven help me

and she opened the casket which the son   had given her

inside it was a dress as brilliant as

the sun

itself she took it out and put it on

and went into the castle where everyone

including the bride looked at her with      amazement

the dress pleased the bride so much that   she

asked if it was to be bought

not with gold or goods she answered

but with flesh and blood

the bride asked what she meant and she    answered

let me speak with the bridegroom in his   chamber tonight

the bride refused however

she wanted the dress so much that alas  she consented

but the chamberlain was ordered to give

the prince a sleeping draft

at night when the prince was asleep

she was taken to his room she sat down   and said

for seven years i have followed you

i have been to the sun and the moon

and the four winds to look for you

i have helped you against the dragon and   will you now

quite forget me but the prince slept

so soundly that he thought it was only

the rustling of the wind among the pine  trees

when morning came she was taken away and

had to give up the dress

and as it had not helped her she was   very sad

and went into a meadow and cried as she

was sitting there

she remembered the egg which the moon  had given her

she broke it open and out came a hen

and 12 chickens all of gold who ran

about

chirping and then crept back under their  mother's wings

a prettier sight could not be seen

she got up and drove them about the

meadow till the bride saw them from the  window

the chickens pleased her so much that

she asked if they were for sale

not for gold or goods but for flesh

and blood let me speak with the

bridegroom in his chamber once more

the bride said yes intending to deceive

her as before

but when the prince went to his room he

asked the chamberlain

what all the murmuring and rustling in  the night meant

then the chamberlain told him how he had

been ordered to give him a sleeping

draft

because a poor girl had been concealed  in his room

and that night he was to do the same  again

pour out that drink and put it near my  bed

said the prince at night

she was brought in again and when she

began to relate her sad

fortunes he recognized the voice of his  dear wife

sprang up and said now i'm really free

for the first time

all has been as a dream for the foreign

princess cast a spell over me

so that i was forced to forget you

but heaven in a happy hour has taken  away

my blindness then they both stole out of

the castle

for they feared the princess's father

because he was a sorcerer

they mounted the griffin who bore them

over the red sea

and when they got to mid-ocean she

dropped the nut

on the spot a fine nut tree sprang up

on which the bird rested then

it took them home where they found their

child grown tall

and beautiful and they lived happily

till the end

you